Rarely does the Hill Team find two young chefs working together with such talent. Chef Drew Spencer and Pastry Chef Jenean Richards have the passion and talent to achieve great accompolishments with their culinary skills.

Platon Mantheakis, Manager, at the Jacksonville Inn in Jacksonville OR met these young women as young girls who were friends of this daughter. They were all involved in 4H.

Both Drew and Jeneane grew up in the Applegate Valley. Since we’re posting their recipes, we’ll do another story on their background as a later post.

Wild Huckleberry Sauce

Yield: 3 cups
Portion: 2 fl. ounces
Number of Portions: 12

9 oz. huckleberries
1 cup White Wine
1 tbls vinegar/apple cider
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup diced shallots
1 lb salted butter

In sauce pan – add huckleberries, shallots, white wine, vinegar, honey, and a little salt and pepper.
Cook down for about 10 minutes, strain and put back on the stove to reduce a little further until almost syrupy.

Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the softened butter.

Cheese Mix

Take about 1 cup of goat cheese and pulse in food processor until crumbly.
Add ½ cup huckleberries and a pinch of slat and pepper. Mix.

Pasta Dough

Yield: 24
Portions of two

2 cups flour – semolina
3 large eggs
2tbls olive oil
1/4 corn meal

Combine flour and salt into mixer using the hook
Add eggs one at a time
Drizzle 1 tblspn olive oil and continue mixing dough until it forms a ball.
Sprinkle four on table top and knead dough until elastic and smooth.

Brush top of dough with remaining olive oil
Cover with plastic
Wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Cut the ball of dough in half and cover the remaining dough so it doesn’t dry out.
Press dough into rectangular shape and roll through pasta machine.

Roll out past dough on pasta roller until the #6 setting.

Punch out with circle cutters.
Scoop a little less than a tablespoon into one circle, then egg wash the sides.
Take another circle and place it on top – press edges together until it is sealed.
Boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

Truffle Gelato

3 cups whole milk
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp truffle oil
2 oz. truffles

Heat the cream, milk, and sugar to a simmer.
Add the vanilla and truffle oil.
Allow the mixture to cool over night.
Add 2 oz. of finely chopped truffles to the milk mixture and spin in an ice cream machine.

Blushing Pear Brulee

12 pears
2 cups Tawny Port
2 cups whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups water
Extra sugar for dusting

Peel pears – be careful to leave stem intact.
Bring water, port, sugar, and cranberries to a simmer and cook until cranberries “pop.”
Add pears and poach until tender – about 15-20 minutes.
Remove pears and continue to simmer liquid until reduced to syrup-like consistency.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
Dust poached pears with extra sugar and brulee with a torch.
Serve on a pool of syrup with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Garnish with candied mint.

Candied Mint

12 mint leave
1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
Lightly brush mint with egg white and coat with sugar.
Bake at 150 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes, or until crispy.

Maralyn D. Hill and Brenda C. Hill, The Tandem Tasters

International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association

Books By Hills

GLOG: Global Log

SLOG: Success Log